Josie and the Pussycats (PG) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

Josie and the Pussycats (PG, 2001) 25th Anniversary Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

Josie McCoy (Rachael Leigh Cook), Valerie Brown (Rosario Dawson), and Melody Valentine (Tara Reid) are members of a struggling small-town rock band dreaming of their big break. When record executive Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming) discovers them and offers an overnight record deal, the trio is thrust into sudden stardom, complete with lavish makeovers, a hit single, and adoring fans. But their meteoric rise conceals a sinister secret: the record label, run by the manipulative Fiona (Parker Posey), has been embedding subliminal messages into their music to control teenage consumers and drive corporate profits. As Josie and the Pussycats become the label's biggest weapon, Josie must decide whether fame and fortune are worth sacrificing her friendships and integrity, while uncovering the conspiracy hiding behind the glossy surface of pop stardom.

Directors Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont deliver a candy-colored satire that skewers turn-of-the-millennium consumerism, corporate branding, and manufactured pop culture with gleeful, self-aware wit. The film's relentless visual barrage of logos and product placement functions as pointed commentary on its own commercial packaging, a meta joke largely lost on audiences upon its original release but embraced by cult fans in the years since. Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson bring genuine chemistry and charm to the central trio, grounding the film's satirical edges with authentic friendship, while Alan Cumming and Parker Posey chew through their villainous roles with theatrical relish. The film's soundtrack, featuring original pop-rock songs performed by the fictional band, became a genuine hit in its own right, capturing the bubblegum energy of early-2000s pop while the film itself critiqued the very industry that produced it.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Saturday, August 29th at 2:00PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: PG (Medium level violence, Sexual references, Low level coarse language)